Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihue, HI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lihue, HI and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lihue, HI and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,194 in Lihue, HI versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Lihue, HI $3,194
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,556 in Lihue, HI versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Lihue, HI $5,556
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,919 in Lihue, HI versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Lihue, HI $7,919
Phuket $3,154

Living in Lihue, HI is roughly 150% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lihue, HI is 135% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$4.47 ฿151

466.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$32.41 ฿1,094

241.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$8.81 ฿297

47.90%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$2.83 ฿95.5

131.45%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$0.87 ฿29.43

339.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.49 ฿16.67

402.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.56 ฿86.4

168.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$3.68 ฿124

114.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.66 ฿56.0

13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$6.56 $6.56

$1.46 ฿49.35

349.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.50 ฿50.6

87.33%

Eggs

$10.19 $10.19

$2.09 ฿70.5

387.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$19.07 ฿644

-19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$3.30 ฿111

359.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$10.91 ฿368

84.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.93 ฿99.0

63.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.69 ฿57.1

97.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$2.25 ฿75.8

281.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$2.08 ฿70.1

387.02%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.51 ฿51.0

234.44%

Onion (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$1.38 ฿46.56

358.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$4.20 ฿142

189.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$18.79 ฿634

-15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.82 ฿61.5

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.84 ฿95.9

-40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.45 ฿49.03

35.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$56.7 ฿1,913

-6.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.02 ฿102

160.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.02 ฿34.36

86.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.25 $15.25

$3.69 ฿125

313.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.47 ฿49.81

-11.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.8K ฿904.3K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K ฿901.3K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.4 ฿3,254

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.21 $30.21

$11.26 ฿380

168.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$16.85 ฿569

259.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.9 $91.9

$67.2 ฿2,270

36.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 $9.01

$7.50 ฿253

20.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

$476 ฿16.1K

152.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

44.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$716 ฿24.2K

228.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 $2,000

$491 ฿16.6K

307.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,245 $5,245

$1,927 ฿65.1K

172.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,812 $4,812

$1,431 ฿48.3K

236.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,987 $1,987

$502 ฿17.0K

295.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.57

20.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Lihue, HI

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,353 in Lihue, HI and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lihue, HI pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $111 in Lihue, HI vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $519 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

21:04 9:04 PM

17 h ahead of Lihue, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lihue, HI Phuket 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Lihue, HI
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lihue, HI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Lihue, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Lihue, HI is about 4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,353 in Lihue, HI versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,194 per month in Lihue, HI versus $1,278 in Phuket – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lihue, HI runs roughly 7% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lihue, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lihue, HI and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Lihue, HI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.